Barbed wire surrounds Tuyoq, Xinjiang. I only saw a handful of Uyghurs in Tuyoq (who seemed terrified to be photographed or to talk to me) but saw many not-so-subtle plain-clothed male police officers following me, taking pictures of anything I was doing or photographing.

Old Kashgar, Xinjiang being destroyed. The photos show how little remains of the original Uyghur housing in the area, as much has already been vacated and torn down. (This is almost all that is left of old Kashgar and you can compare these pictures to the movie Kite Runner, filmed in this exact space in 2007, which shows miles and miles of these same types of bustling homes.) These neighborhoods have been replaced with small Potemkin towns (a few blocks in each direction) that basically are set up for Han Chinese businesses to operate on the street level.

Another shot of Old Kashgar, Xinjiang being destroyed. I saw this area from the road several times as I was traveling by car to different sites and asked my government minders to stop. They told me that it did not exist…but then wanted to know if I had photographed anything from the vehicle. Finally, a couple days later, I saw this demolition area again while going to my hotel and asked to drive by and see it closer. As there was tension already about not being able to see many of the things I had in my itinerary and had paid for, they begrudgingly agreed. Signs posted in English said that a “dressing up” was occurring.

Before and After photos hung in Hotan, Xinjiang, illustrating the changes just since 2016. (There seemed to be a great emphasis on showing how the former version was “not as nice” but the original homes were purposely not provided upkeep.) I kept asking to see the "old neighborhoods" but was told that there weren't any to see and that these actually WERE the homes that I was asking about. No Uyghurs seemed to live in the new area and, after pressing, I was finally told that the sole reason these new structures even existed was to have an authentic “Uyghur” place for visitors to see.

A behind the scenes worker in Hotan trying to make the buildings look older with special architectural techniques. In some other cities, the pollution, weather and daily wear and tear had already started to affect the newly built areas and it seemed like there were real attempts to pass them off as what had always been there.

Another example of how the new architecture in Kashgar was being made to look like it had been around for a long time. In various cities, I saw some of the exact same techniques being used --- purposely broken bricks lining the streets, new furniture made to look wrecked and antiquated, intentionally distressed walls and doors with chipped paint.

From this picture you can see how the “ancient city of Kashgar” compares to buildings that were likely constructed in the 1950s. In some other towns I noticed that buildings similar to those in the left of the picture were in the process of having their exterior replaced with a design that looked like the new construction on the right.

A cell phone shot that shows how the new area in Kashgar is gated. There are police checkpoints like these to get into the new space. (It was really difficult to actually show the level of police presence in Xinjiang since you could not photograph the police or police stations and they were basically located every 200 yards.)

Another example of China's version of the "new and improved" Uyghur housing in Hotan. (This area was only a few blocks long and shows again that there are Han Chinese businesses on the lower level. Han Chinese from the rest of the nation have been given many incentives to move to Xinjiang in hopes of rapidly changing the demographic.) A few Uyghurs appeared to be paid to walk back and forth in front of me only while I was taking pictures.

The “modern” Uyghur area in Hotan. These windows and woodwork on the building on the left were merely being added onto what appeared to be almost the exact same 1950s style apartment buildings as can be noted in previous photo 8 in Kashgar. Also, the Before version in Photo 5 shows that there were bird sellers on this street in 2016. This photo shows the many bird cages that have been recreated from the bird store that was exactly replicated around the corner.

As mentioned, some of the architectural changes were just covering up older buildings and/or did not even have a backing if you went behind the façade. From the street, this building appeared to be completely finished.

A large interim poster serves as a barricade and also shows what is to possibly come in this new area of Kashgar. These neighborhoods were generally devoid of Uyghurs, but were packed with single men on their own, lingering on corners, talking on cell phones and following foreigners around.

This new area in Kashgar includes a traditional Han Chinese building located right in the middle of it. Though this architecture looks weathered, you can see the construction supplies that are possibly being used to achieve this effect on both sides of the street. There did seem to be some of the old artifacts and former buildings incorporated into the various scenes to make them seem more realistic, like a 100-year-old teahouse complete with the same mentioned pattern of crumbling bricks and a sign boasting its age.

This building is part of the Kashgar Sunday Grand Bazaar. This area in the back was closed off with barbed wire, the old storefronts were gated and a cleaning cart left in front to keep people out. This was juxtaposed with the new Chinese signs and updated stalls on each side, though it appeared cameras had been installed in the older area, showing that it was still open not too long ago. This bazaar seemed to be under major construction, with some old parts still standing and these were definitely the most interesting and reflective of the ancient traditions of the region.

Uyghur butchers must have their meat tools (pictured here: knives and axes) chained or tied up so that they cannot be used as weapons. ID information is laser-etched into each one so they can be tracked, in case they’re ever used for violence.

This is the new International Grand Bazaar in Urumqi, which opened in 2003. Here traditional red lanterns and Communist flags festoon the entrance and walking areas, to make the area appear “more Chinese." Han Chinese and Uyghurs were being encouraged to dance together while I was here to demonstrate that different ethnic groups were getting along. Plain-clothed officers were stationed every few yards. Many of the brown kiosks were showing live propaganda on screens built into them.

The new and very Disney-esque entrance leading into the recently built area of Kashgar. There was even a sign suggesting that the new wall here is a remnant of the authentic city wall from the 16th century.

I saw several instances highlighting different ethnicities dancing together to show that various groups were getting along in China. These were all in areas where visitors (mostly Han tourists) would be taking photos. Almost all of the dancers here were Han Chinese, some dressed in Uyghur attire. It appeared that only one of the costumed dancers was Uyghur. Uyghur men are required to crop their beards or lose points in China’s social monitoring system. I only saw beards allowed when there were emphasized visitor photo opportunities like this one.

Han Chinese tourists visiting the Shanshan County Kumutage Desert Attraction in Xinjiang. Here visitors wait in long lines to ride packed amusement park style golf cart trains to an upper area of the sand dunes. They then stop for drinks and pose next to these military symbols, and hike or rent rides on very decorated mangy camels. The real Silk Road history of the location is completely lost with the theme park atmosphere and there was even a sign with rules that stated, “ Persons wearing five-categories of extreme religious clothes as Burka, veil, Liqieke and crescent clothing, and young and middle-aged man with full beard are forbidden to enter the area.” Anyone who violated this regulation would be fined up to 1000 yuan.

Parade ground in Hotan where a lot of new construction can be seen on the skyline (where the old Uyghur neighborhoods were once located). Singing and marching seemed to be happening at this school at odd hours and also loud broadcasting.

A statue showing Mao shaking hands with a Uyghur. There are police stations every 200 yards or so in the cities in Xinjiang and you can see one in the background here on the left in blue and white.Some days I had up to 9 different police stops, many times starting over the long process of having my passport and belongings x-rayed and getting intensely questioned, even though all of the “convenience police stations” are electronically connected. It did take quite a bit of time each day but it was much worse for the Muslim ethnic minorities who were also detained (Kazaks, Uzbeks, Kyrgyz, Tajiks, Uyghurs). DNA, voiceprints, fingerprints and medical biodata were also captured at some at these checkpoints, as well as tracking changes made to cell phone software. Being a woman in these situations was interesting because the officers would openly comment to my fiancé about my body. As views on gender in Xinjiang heavily influence how one can travel and photograph (and having stamps in my passport already from some of the neighboring Muslim countries like Iran), it sounds like I had a different travel experience than some other male visitors whose stories I read upon return.

A locked Uyghur storefront proclaims its loyalty to the Communist Party.

China was hosting its annual Belt and Road conference in Beijing in April, 2019, with representation from more than 70 countries and discussion about projects estimated to be $1.5 trillion. The Belt and Road Initiative represents an ambitious effort by China to expand its economic and geopolitical influence throughout Asia. Xinjiang is at the forefront of this Belt and Road Initiative because it was located on the heart of the ancient Silk Road and still borders many Central and South Asian countries over which China seeks to exercise power. China is exploiting Xinjiang’s natural resources in an effort to grow its economy and this has caused significant environmental degradation in the area. Much of old Xinjiang has been destroyed to make way for new buildings, roads, and rail lines. Many countries that traditionally have advocated on behalf of oppressed Muslims have not stood up to China on the Uyghur issue, largely because of their own economic and political dependence on the funds that have been loaned to restart the new Silk Road in their nations.

Propaganda showing the Chinese leader, Xi Jinping, with a group of happy ethnic minority kids. The billboard reportedly states, “Party Secretary Xi Jinping and Xinjiang’s multi-ethnic residents are united heart to heart.” Many Uyghur kids are being separated from their parents when they are taken to the internment camps and placed in mandatory state orphanages or boarding schools (“protection centers”). Here they are forced to speak Mandarin and taught to renounce their old lives and parents’ ways of thinking, to become “civilized” and “patriotic” citizens of the Communist Party who sometimes spy on their own families. China has taken the stance that the schools and camps are for reeducation and training purposes – to not only teach “appropriate” Chinese practices, but to also combat terrorism. In this light, every Ugyhur is being viewed with suspicion of being a terrorist. Last year the New York Times shared leaked documents that stated that religious extremism was akin to a virus that must be destroyed. Uyghur quarantine efforts have been ongoing since 2014.

The Id Kah Mosque in Kashgar, built in 1442. Like other houses of worship throughout Xinjiang, the Id Kah mosque was completely devoid of Muslims. Surveillance devices were all around and inside the building and surrounding area and government agents lingered in the square in front of the building, tracking who went inside.

There appear to be at least 7 separate cameras located on the top of the gate facing this direction in the courtyard of this holy building. The cameras are used in the extensive mass tracking and collection of all Ugyhur movements through comprehensive mapping and data points.

The main mosque in Tuyoq, an almost completely abandoned but preserved city about 2 hours away from Turpan. The city is surrounded by barbed wire and checkpoints. This mosque was closed, had wire on the walls, a blockade in front of the entrance and cameras focused on the door.

The Emin Mosque in Turpan, built in 1778, was empty. Because of the crackdown on religious freedom and the tracking of movements, Muslims are very reluctant to visit any mosques. A surveillance camera can be seen on the ceiling here. I was told numerous times that I could not photograph mosques in the area and was even stopped by the police in Turpan for trying to do so. Hence, it was very confusing to try to figure out when this was permitted and when this was not. Many mosques in Xinjiang have already been totally destroyed.

There are numerous internment camps throughout Xinjiang but I couldn’t visit them and it wasn’t a safe topic to discuss. The structures in this picture are located on a distinctively colored lake in the Pamir Mountains on the highest paved highway in the world on the way to Tashkurgan, a city near Pakistan that has since been closed to visitors. (I wasn’t able to go to some of the sites I wanted to see on this road and was told that some were shut down due to “sickness.” We couldn’t stop and take photos so I took this from the car as we sped by.) There didn’t appear to be anyone living in the surrounding area (the yurts that were supposed to be there were no longer there) and it was quite isolated. There were barracks, a fence, and what appeared to be lots of standardized dormitory-like yellow buildings that I’d seen elsewhere in the region in similar contexts. A giant neon illuminated mosque marked the entrance and a propaganda sign decorated the shore.Without understanding Mandarin or Uyghur, the purpose of the compound was not entirely clear but it looked comparable to other camps captured by drone on Google Earth.